Sir Jane
by Lady Mage
Summary: A young girl is forced to try for knighthood when her older brother bankrupts the family fortunes.
1. Duty

**Sir Jane**

Chapter One: Duty

_A young girl is forced to go for knighthood when her older brother bankrupts the family fortunes.

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"Of course I will do whatever you wish, father," the girl standing in front of her father said, no trace of resentment in her face.

Lord Collins surveyed his daughter skeptically. Where was the fire that her mother had? The girl was a dull twat, plain and simple.

"You know very well I cannot afford to send you to the convent. You will go to the palace to train for your shield."

The girl made no answer.

"The estate cannot support you any other way- it can barely support me. I will go abroad to some foreign court where the sight of a Tortallian is so rare that they will shower honors and gifts upon me."

"And Caspar?" she asked.

"He is as good as dead to us now. You would do well to remember that it is he that has bankrupted this family."

"Is there no other way then, father?"

"No," Lord Collins said shortly, surveying his daughter sadly. Jane of Riverhill was about medium height for a girl of ten. She had long, dirty, blonde hair and grey eyes. Her only remarkable feature was her hands which she vainly displayed to their best advantage with a signet ring bearing the Riverhill family crest on the middle finger of her right hand.

But hands and well placed rings weren't going to get the girl a husband. It would be impossible to marry her off without extensive training at the convent. Which cost money. There was no other way to save the family fortunes.

"No," he repeated, "There is no other way. You must do as you are told and manage as best you can."

"Yes, father. I will do my duty." Turning on her heel, she left the room- her drab little shapeless dress flowing behind her.

She swept into her room and surveyed her reflection in the looking glass. "Yes, I will do my duty," she said sadly, surveying her hair before reaching for the shears in her dresser drawer.

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**A/N: I'm sorry it's so short... the first couple of chapters will be that way, but they _will_ get longer, I promise. Hope you liked, and please review!**

**Lady Mage**


	2. Fittings

**Sir Jane**

Chapter Two: Fittings

_A young girl is forced to go for knighthood when her older brother bankrupts the family fortunes.

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Her locks snipped off to her shoulders, Jane surveyed herself in the mirror. She looked like a boy, albeit an innocent and naïve one. While she had never been a beautiful girl, she made a passable, if not handsome boy. Not that she was going to have to conceal her sex, but it might be better if she blended in. Jane wasn't the type of girl who liked calling attention to herself and while she never felt at home in any situation, she possessed the rare talent of adapting quickly.

Jane realized that her father was not going to back down, and there was nothing she could do. She was just going to have to go along with her father's plan for the moment and see what happened. Jane didn't really waste too much time worrying about the far off future, but took care of her immediate needs. Right now, she needed to get fitted for some new clothes if she was going to have to travel to Corus at the end of the week.

Turning away from her mirror, Jane made her way through the room with a rare grace that was her only accomplishment. She made her way down to the kitchen, knowing that the drunkard of a man who called himself a tailor would be there flirting with Cook. Anderson, his assistant, and the Cook were the only servants left at the manor.

"Anderson," she said sharply, "I need new clothes."

"Of course, mi'lady," he slurred. "If you'll just give me one moment…" He grinned cheekily at her.

"No, now," Jane said, knowing that firmness was the only way to get anywhere with Anderson. Otherwise she would still be waiting at Midwinter.

Grumbling about plain girls and obstinate people who inherited everything from their fathers, he rose, bowed mockingly, and followed her to his office, where he shouted for his assistant as soon as they were through the door.

The young man soon appeared, whipping out a knotted cord and wrapping it around Jane's torso, neck, arms, waist, bust, and legs. She was possessed of a fairly boyish figure and she was most appallingly thin from lack of food that winter.

"Have you heard from Caspar at all?" she asked the assistant, knowing that he and her brother had been playmates, then drinking and partying buddies.

"Yes, mi'lady, he is in Corus at the Court of the Rogue. I think he means to set himself up as the king of the Rogue," he said with a sly wink in her direction.

Jane laughed. Her poor foolish brother could not possibly succeed, could he?

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**A/N: Again, I apologize for the shortness. They will get longer, I promise. Thanks to all those who reviewed last time! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be coming very soon.**

**Please review!**

**Lady Mage**


	3. Sunrise

**Jane**

Chapter Three: Sunrise

_A young girl is forced to go for knighthood when her older brother bankrupts the family fortunes.

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_

Her fittings complete, Jane left Anderson and his assistant with the promise that the new clothes would be ready for her in two days.

The next thing she needed was armor and a sword. They were not going to be easy to get. Riverhill's armory had been sold off, piece by piece over the years to pay the debts Caspar managed to acquire. The only remaining pieces were the armor that belonged to the ten remaining soldiers and her father. She could hardly take them. Perhaps she could write to Caspar?

But her father had forbidden her to remain in contact with him. On the other hand, he was her brother, for crying out loud- she couldn't just avoid the acquaintance. Or could she?

Shaking her head, Jane decided she was thinking too much and settled down to write to Caspar. After all, it really was the only sensible thing to do.

_Dear Caspar, _she penned,

_Father has decided to send me off to train at the palace as a knight. I need weapons, armor, and a horse. Do you have any ideas?_

_Love from your sister,_

_Jane of Riverhill._

_P.S. I hope you've given up on your foolish notion of becoming King of Thieves._

Jane smiled at her post-script. She knew that Caspar wouldn't give up on anything once he set his mind to it.

The rest of the week passed fairly quickly. She received her new clothes from Anderson and his assistant, and although she hadn't heard back from Caspar, she figured that he wouldn't bother contacting her at Riverhill, where Lord Collins would notice that they were corresponding. And it wasn't like she would need the armor, weapons, or the horse immediately- she was only going to be a first year page. Her childhood horse, Snowball, would do for a while, or she could borrow a palace horse.

Finally, it was the day of her departure. Jane found that she was somewhat excited to her surprise about what would be awaiting her at the palace. Almost impatiently, she said her goodbyes to everyone- she would miss the cook who acted like the elder sister she had never had, but she was glad to be moving on with her life. Not that she particularly wanted to be a knight, but she couldn't wallow in childhood and hunger forever. Smiling slightly, she dutifully kissed her father on the cheek and promised to be good and send back monthly reports on her progress. Then, with a twinge of sadness at leaving her home, she mounted Snowball, riding astride for the first time in her life. Jane would miss Riverhill, but she would always visit; she was the type of girl who didn't think about the past much and was always ready to move on. And this was the new stage of her life.

"I just hope I don't fall off," she joked to the guard that was accompanying her, referring to the fact that she was riding astride for the first time in her life. His name was Jehu. It _was_ a rather odd name, but he had come from Maren, and they had all manner of odd names up there.

"If it's any consolation, miss, I doubt you will. Rather, I would think the problem would be _getting_ her to move in the first place."

Jane just smiled. There was certainly truth in his words. Clucking at Snowball, they moved forward and off down the road after the last wave at Riverhill.

The week it took to travel to Corus was long and uneventful with the exception of Jehu teaching her the art of tracking in the woods to find food for dinner. Surprisingly, she took to it immediately, although she often ruined the effect of sneaking within five feat of a deer by fumbling with her bow and arrows which Jehu was in the process of trying to teach her but miserably failing at.

They had been riding for six days when finally, one morning, Jehu woke her up particularly early, and motioned her to saddle up quickly.

"What is it, Jehu?" she mumbled tiredly, crawling out of her bedroll and packing up her gear. She yawned and mounted Snowball almost half asleep. "Are there bandits on the road?" she asked again, wondering what on earth would have gotten Jehu up so early.

The large guard just smiled."Don't you want to see Corus at sunrise?" he asked.

"Do I?" Jane yawned again and seemed in danger of falling out of her saddle. She still wasn't used to riding astride yet- all her life she'd rode a sidesaddle. Jehu handed her a fruit bar, which helped wake her up a little.

"Yes, you do. The sunbeams hit directly through Balor's needle in the palace, and it is gorgeous."

"More gorgeous than Mother's old silks?" she asked, trying to figure out how anything could be more beautiful than her mother's old court gowns.

"I would say so," he said dutifully.

"Allright then," she said, sitting up taller in her saddle so she could see. "Oh, my!" she breathed. "It's…. it is just so…"

"Gorgeous, unbelievable, breathtaking, amazing…?" Jehu supplied helpfully.

Jane laughed. Those words barely began to describe the beautiful city. Smiling broadly for one of the first times since her father told her she was going to the palace, she challenged Jehu to a race down the hill and into the city. It was her future that awaited her, and she would not shy away from it.

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**A/N: See? As I said, the chapters _are_ getting longer. I should be updating this within the next day or so, so keep your eyes open. Special thanks to all those who reviewed and my beta, Hecate's Diamon! You all are wonderful! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review on your way out!**

**Lady Mage**


	4. Classes

**Jane**

**Chapter Four: Classes**

_A young girl is forced to go for knighthood when her older brother bankrupts the family fortunes.

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_

After checking in with Training Master Padriag haMinch, who tried his hardest to get her to leave, Jane and Jehu made their way to their rooms. Jehu was to stay on as her manservant while also serving on the Palace guard. They would sleep soundly that night- the next day was to be a big day for them.

The first day went relatively smoothly with few mishaps. Jane settled in and made several friends. Alfred of Naxen, a stocky blond-haired third year, was her sponsor, and showed her around the palace. At first she was a little taken aback by his nosiness, having lived alone for so long at Riverhill, but she soon got used to it, and he got used to her customary stillness.

The next day was to be harder. Jane was woken bright and early by an overly cheerful Alfred. She then rushed to breakfast, almost running into the complex network of strings that had been rigged outside her door. Jane didn't have time to look around her- she and the other pages were given half a bell to gobble down their breakfast before they were forced to run down to the practice courts for their first lessons of the morning: staff fighting, archery, and horseback riding. These all passed in a blur for Jane: she had never so much as touched a weapon before, and she was still not used to riding astride. The only things she remembered were the bruises she obtained on her wrists, elbows, and the almost broken arm she had obtained when she had shot her bow incorrectly. Foremost in her mind were the aching muscles in her arms, shoulders, and in between her legs. Riding astride required many more leg muscles than riding sidesaddle. _Still_, Jane mused to herself, _if it makes me a knight, I don't really care. And they are probably going hard on us since it's the first day, right?_

"You'll get better in time," was all Alfred said when she asked him about it.

Jane had looked at him dolefully. "I need to get better _now_," she said, "otherwise I won't be living through the week."

"Tell you what," said Alfred. "Remind me after dinner to show you some floor press-ups that you can do to strengthen your arms. That will help a lot I think- you don't look like you have a lot of arm muscle now." He paused and looked at her after the last statement, and she supposed that he was worried she might get offended. Jane just smiled slightly to herself. She didn't get mad easily. But more work? That was the last thing she needed!

Lunch followed the morning classes and after that came their classes with the Mithran priests. Literature class was first, and it was taught by Master Polle. Master Polle had a very round belly that Alfred thought fitted him very well- somehow the name 'Polle' to Alfred suggested an enormous man who spoke too much. And that is exactly what Master Polle did. He never ever quieted down and rambled on the entire class.

At first, Jane had been surprised that knights were required to learn literature. When she voiced as much to the boy sitting next to her, he laughed.

"Where else do you suppose knights learn to write bad poetry?" he asked, "Say, aren't you the new female page? My older brother, Owen, trained with Lady Kel, you know, the other lady knight. I think lady knights are jolly!" This last was said in a whisper so Master Polle wouldn't hear.

Jane just looked at him. She had never heard the word 'jolly' in her life, but she found herself liking it. Deciding that she could ask him what it meant later, she introduced herself and learned that his name was Tristan. The class ended with Master Polle handing out the assignments (reading bad poetry and reporting on it the next day in class).

The pages then made their way to etiquette class, where Jane was taught to curtsy and bow (both were required for lady knights), which only made her burning muscles hurt even more. Jane could barely hold a pen in her hand because of her accident during archery, and she was given the letter she was supposed to be writing as punishment work for that night. Jane realized that her life at the convent would have been etiquette class times one hundred, and she began to feel a little bit better about being at the palace.

She was allowed a little free time before dinner, and managed to wash up and bathe before it was time to enter the mess hall for the first time. The mess hall of the pages and squires was located in the center of the page's wing of the palace and was enormous. She hadn't really noticed it at lunch or dinner, because of the buffet tables set up along several of the walls. She had also been in a hurry. But, now, on closer examination, Jane realized that she had never seen such a large room in her entire life! Upon entering and actually paying attention, she found herself taken away by the sheer vastness of it, and it was moment before she was able to gather herself and set off to find a table. Compared to the room, there were few squires and pages present, and she spotted Alfred and Tristan with ease and went over to sit with them. They were sitting with several other new pages who introduced themselves as Richard of Malven and Dennison of Tirragen.

"Hello," one of the second year pages at the table said, after the first years had finished introducing themselves, "I'm Garan of Veldine. So you've made your way through the first day of training then?"

"Excuse me," Jane said, "but did you just say 'made it through'?" So this was how it was going to be every day then? But, it wasn't like she had any other options.

Alfred looked at her tired face, then frowned apologetically. "It'll get worse, youngling- Minchi has gone light on us today."

Jane chose not to process the fact that the day had been easy. Her bruises were slowly turning black, and her arm was throbbing from where she had handled the bow incorrectly during archery practice. Instead, she asked what foremost came to mind, "Minchi?"

"Didn't you know? That's why he was chosen to be training master," broke in a stocky fourth year.

"But what does it mean?" Jane asked, still bewildered.

"In the words of the former training master, Lord haMinch was chosen because he is a a blueblood, a conservative, and a Minchi," the fourth year replied.

"Cut to the chase already, Pepin," Garan told the fourth year, impatiently. Apparently Jane wasn't the only one who wanted to know the truth behind the nickname.

"He just doesn't want to admit that he doesn't know," Tristan of Jesslaw accused. For a first year, he knew Pepin, Garan, and Alfred well because of his older brother, Owen of Jesslaw, now _Sir _Owen.

Pepin spluttered. It appeared that Tristan had hit right on the money. Alfred just laughed.

"Close enough, cousin," Alfred said to Pepin. "I don't even know myself- I heard Father- that would be Gareth the Younger, by the way- saying something about him being a Minchi." Alfred looked around, shaking his head at the hopeful expressions of Tristan, Richard, Dennisson, Jane, and even Garan and Pepin.

"So you all are trying to say," said Jane, finally getting it, "is that you don't know what it means?"

"Not really," Alfred admitted.

Tristan, Richard, and Dennisson burst out with loud shouts of disappointment causing Lord haMinch to stand up from his seat on the dais and bellow "You three! Report to my quarters after supper!"

"Uh oh," Alfred said, "it looks like someone's in _trouble_…"

Tristan swatted him.

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**A/N: Special thanks to my wonderful beta Hecate's Diamon, who catches so much! You really are the best. And thanks to all the wonderful readers and reviewers- you all are awesome! Keep reviewing! ;) I should be updating hopefully by the weekend, so keep your eyes pealed!**

**Please review, and Happy New Year!**

**Lady Mage**


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